New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

I got my copy yesterday of "Perfumes: The Guide" and my immediate thoughts were that it is a great resource book and I enjoyed the pithy, blunt commentary (so different to "Countess" Jan Moran's "Fabulous Fragrances I and II") but I just have to ask, what is his obsession with Calice Becker??? I mean, come on! He seems to think her "Tommy Girl" and EL "Beyond Paradise" were each some kind of incredible opus. Turin is like a star-struck kid, gushing and oohing over Becker's every creation no matter how commercial or cheap-smelling it is.

The other odd thing I noticed was that Turin seemed rather erratic regarding at least one of today's well known perfume creators. In the Caleche entry, he says of Guy Robert: "When you know this has been composed by Guy Robert, all it takes is one sniff... to know they've grieviously messed with it." But, under the Amouage Gold entry, Turin states "Robert is perhaps the most symphonic of the old-school perfumers still working today". Come on, Luca, make up your mind!

Overall, I enjoyed the take-no-prisoners approach. Le Labo, and to a lesser degree Creed, must be seething.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Jemimagold - He is being complimentary to Guy Robert in that what Robert originally composed as Caleche could in no way be the watered down, banal substance that it currently is. Turin is apparently quite a fan of Guy Robert (the Amouge Gold, Dia).

Interestingly, he seems to not be a fan of Fraysse, Caron's current perfumer.

There does seem to be a strong thread of industry cronyism throughout the book, but that's probably the nature of the fragrance industry to begin with.

I expected the writing to be more sophisticated and I expected the quide to be more complete. Many perfumes I'd like to read his/her opinions on are not listed. So, on the one hand, I love reading the reviews, on the other hand, I wish there were more of them to read!

While I agree with some opinions, I agree for different reasons than are listed. I disagree mightily with some other opinions, which is probably a result of experiences in the fragrance industry, cultural nuances, and chemistry.

Overall, I'm glad I purchased it because it's a jumping off point for discussion and evaluation.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

I must wait another 14 days before I can plow through this book myself. I sort of know where Turin's preferences have been in the past, but with 1500 perfumes now covered, I hope to find the most important fragrances for men(or virile uniscents) covered from the following houses:

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

There does seem to be a strong thread of industry cronyism throughout the book, but that's probably the nature of the fragrance industry to begin with.

Really? If anything Luca Turin comes off rather independently to me. It reminds me of Parker and his red wine reviews.

===
“… [I] recall thinking that the computer would never advance much further than this. Call me naïve, but I seemed to have underestimated the universal desire to sit in a hard plastic chair and stare at a screen until your eyes cross.” ~ David Sedaris

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

I loved it, loved it, loved it. I was also thrilled that so many fragrances I adore received 5 stars or at least 4 stars; not that that would dissuade me from wearing a favorite. I loved what he wrote about Youth-Dew and Azuree by Lauder, and gave such kudos to Lauder; proving an incredible scent does not require a second mortgage to acquire. I was sad to see some of the reviews on my old favorites; L'air du temps, Caleche, and many Caron's...just reinforced what my nose had been telling me, someone has been playing in the lab. with the classics...and not for the better.
I really enjoyed what I have read so far, will really need to spend quality time going through it thoroughly.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

BTW, did anyone read the review of Green Irish Tweed in the guide? GIT composed by Bourdon? What the deuce is Turin talking about? Luca Turin, if you are reading this, can you back this claim up with a legit source? Or maybe its better to ask Pierre Bourdon himself.

I find it interesting that his reviews, of Creeds especially, vary widely between the 1994 guide and this new one. For example, Erolfa was given a positive review 1994 guide, but is trashed with a harsh 1 star rating in the new one.
--------------------------------------

Originally Posted by luca turin

Just curious as to what you mean by that

She's probably referring to the 4 star rating handed out to the incredible Zegna Z..

Last edited by zztopp; 13th April 2008 at 06:45 AM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

GIT composed by Bourdon? What the deuce is Turin talking about? Luca Turin, if you are reading this, can you back this claim up with a legit source? Or maybe its better to ask Pierre Bourdon himself.

I find it interesting that his reviews, of Creeds especially, vary widely between the 1994 guide and this new one. For example, Erolfa was given a positive review 1994 guide, but is trashed with a harsh 1 star rating in the new one.
-----------------------------------

Bourdon is listed as creator of GIT in Michael Edwards' database, thereby officially confirming the worst-kept secret in the industry

Erolfa: I think both my taste and the fragrance may have changed, in opposite directions, over fifteen years :-)

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Bourdon listed as creator of GIT in Michael Edwards' database? , and no doubt about this "fact" could be, like a error or something? I hope Oliver isn't reading this, cause this is ridiculous.
Makes me wonder about this Michael Edwards database also.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Although I've been a frag-addict for sixty some odd years, it was Burr's book on Luca Turnin that brought me to BaseNotes, a more focussed approach and all you wonderful folk. I look forward to The Guide, having loved The Secret of Scent. I adore his passion and respect his formidable intellect and excellent use of the language.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by eric

Bourdon listed as creator of GIT in Michael Edwards' database? , and no doubt about this "fact" could be, like a error or something? I hope Oliver isn't reading this, cause this is ridiculous.
Makes me wonder about this Michael Edwards database also.

If you knew Michael Edwards and how he works, you would know that a) he doesn't make attribution mistakes and b) he discussed this with Creed. OC is listed as co-creator, btw

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by Taolady

Although I've been a frag-addict for sixty some odd years, it was Burr's book on Luca Turnin that brought me to BaseNotes, a more focussed approach and all you wonderful folk. I look forward to The Guide, having loved The Secret of Scent. I adore his passion and respect his formidable intellect and excellent use of the language.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Man, with all these surprises and accusations about Creed (including alot of speculation in another thread that they didn't even start making fragrances until the 1980s!) someone should write a book about them! They are after all a giant gossip factory as much as a fargrance house! If Oliver Creed was the co-creator of GIT I can guess what his contribution was - ambergris, sandalwood and musk in the base...

But Creeds aside - why aren't any Montales covered in the book? Are they not even worth a thrashing? I'm really disappointed about that as I love to read about fragrances I already know and own as much or even more than about ones that I'm curious to try.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

This book is out of sight. I had heard about Luca Turin but had never read anything by him until now. I live in Beverly Hills, CA where the air is saturated with perfume. It led me seek out more information, and I must say this is the most fascinsting reads I've come across in a long time. I had no idea scents could be described so well. Not to mention that I haven't laughed so hard in weeks.

I think this book will be of great use to some of my celebrity clients who are often drowning in the wrong perfume, among other things.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Luca Turin, I was also wondering about some other ratings ...lets take the Caron urns for example. Tabac Blond is given a 1 star rating. Is that 1 star rating purely based on its current composition or is it relative to the original formulation ?

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

If you knew Michael Edwards and how he works, you would know that a) he doesn't make attribution mistakes and b) he discussed this with Creed. OC is listed as co-creator, btw

Well,everyone can make a mistake, even when your name is Michael Edwards, but actually I'm glad.
This sheds a whole other light on the GIT, Coolwater comparison threads, cause this proofs that Pierre Bourdon was not simply plagiarizing GIT, like Goodlife said,but only himself.He just used,or sold the same, or at least a bit simpler version of GIT to the Davidoff (Coty) company. And I can live with that fact. There are more perfumers who did this. (Olivier Cresp comes to mind with his Black XS for men and D&G Light Blue)
And I do admire some of Bourdons creations.

And I promise I will lighten up when this mystery is cleared. Maybe not important for most,(although numerous threads tell otherwise) but to me it is one of those things I always wondered about. I remember an interview with Bourdon about Coolwater where he said that in the early '80s he had trouble selling his formula to companies, untill Coty decided to bring it out. He never thought it would be a worldwide succes. If I only could find back that interview

P.S. I mailed the Creed website with the same question, I wonder what they have to say about this all. I don't think they would admit that Bourdon created GIT.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by eric

P.S. I mailed the Creed website with the same question, I wonder what they have to say about this all. I don't think they would admit that Bourdon created GIT.

If its really true, and if they have allowed Edwards to list it on a public website, it doesn't make sense not to admit it. So I guess there's also a connection between Mugler Cologne and Original Vetiver (except ofcourse one gets 4 stars and the other 1 star) ?

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by Taolady

Although I've been a frag-addict for sixty some odd years, it was Burr's book on Luca Turnin that brought me to BaseNotes, a more focussed approach and all you wonderful folk. I look forward to The Guide, having loved The Secret of Scent. I adore his passion and respect his formidable intellect and excellent use of the language.

Thank you, Taolady! I, for one, am very much enjoying the book and LT and TS's reviews, even when my "take" on a particular fragrance doesn't agree with theirs. The obvious care, knowledge, delight and extremely hearty dose of irreverence they 've put into the book makes it a great deal in my, um, book.

It’s thought that people who hope too much will just waste their life away and never get down to doing any real work. They’re confusing Hope with Wish, its lazy cousin... When Wish whispers, “Something is just around the corner,” what comes or not is never what was wished for. When Hope whispers “Something is just around the corner,” something always is. -- Charlie Elberson

My sale thread has some of my underappreciated fragrances looking for a good, new home...

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by zztopp

Luca Turin, I was also wondering about some other ratings ...lets take the Caron urns for example. Tabac Blond is given a 1 star rating. Is that 1 star rating purely based on its current composition or is it relative to the original formulation ?

The Tabac Blond review couldn't be any clearer, and it was done by Tania Sanchez.

Originally Posted by zztopp

If its really true, and if they have allowed Edwards to list it on a public website, it doesn't make sense not to admit it. So I guess there's also a connection between Mugler Cologne and Original Vetiver (except ofcourse one gets 4 stars and the other 1 star) ?

One of the main reasons could be the fact that Mugler Cologne doesn't claim to be a vetiver fragrance. But I'm sure luca turin will be able to answer that more effectively.

I'm sure he'll give you more details on Tabac Blond also, even though it's already crystal clear in the first place.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by pluran

The Tabac Blond review couldn't have been any clearer, and it was done by Tania Sanchez.

Its clear in the nearly half page review that a comparison is being made with the original formulation. But what I am asking is whether the current juice is 1 star quality compared to similar tobacco/leather fragrances on the market today, or just relative to the original? There are some mediocre leather fragrances which got 2 star ratings and I don't think the current formulation of Tabac Blond is worse than them (but then LT and TS might think it is!). This is the reviewing policy discrepancy I am trying to clear up.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR

Man, with all these surprises and accusations about Creed (including alot of speculation in another thread that they didn't even start making fragrances until the 1980s!) someone should write a book about them! They are after all a giant gossip factory as much as a fargrance house! If Oliver Creed was the co-creator of GIT I can guess what his contribution was - ambergris, sandalwood and musk in the base...

Look out for the follow-up volume: Perfume - The Gossip
While I was only half-serious, I think this supports my hypothesis that Olivier Creed dreamt up the fragrance house of Creed on a stoned night in the Sixties .

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by zztopp

Its clear in the nearly half page review that a comparison is being made with the original formulation. But what I am asking is whether the current juice is 1 star quality compared to similar tobacco/leather fragrances on the market today, or just relative to the original? There are some mediocre leather fragrances which got 2 star ratings and I don't think the current formulation of Tabac Blond is worse than them (but then LT and TS might think it is!). This is the reviewing policy discrepancy I am trying to clear up.

One-star reviews are reserved for those fragrances we felt were not only incompetent but actually insulting.

Re: New Luca Turin book - your thoughts? Here are mine.

Originally Posted by NYCtbone

One-star reviews are reserved for those fragrances we felt were not only incompetent but actually insulting.

oh the cans of worms, wrenched open across cyberspace. the torches brandished through the streets of basenotes.
But my thoughts are with those who say, vive le difference. I CAN'T WAIT to read the reviews in this book, but something tells me I will agree with some, be puzzled by others (poor Mechant Loup... ), and most likely laugh heartily at many.